Fire-ladder.



I. S. SHUMAKER.

PIRE LADDER.

APPLmATmN FILED AUG.18, 1905.

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UNITED sTaTEs PATENT oEEIcE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 27, 1906.

Application i'iled August 18, 1905. Serial No. 274.768.

To all wtowb it 71cm/ concern.-

Beit known that I, IsHAM S. SHUMAKER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Elloree, in the county of Orangeburg and State of SouthCarolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFire-Ladders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to means for' protecting houses againstfire, andmore particularly to a combined ladder and hoisting mechanismwhich enables ready access to be had to the roof and water to be easilyelevated thereto in case of an emergency. After a fire has originatedthe primary obj ect is to obtain control over same before it has gainedmuch headway, and in order to accomplish this result it is necessarythat the operator have free access to the fire from an advantageousposition.

The object of this invention is to provide means whereby a person at amoments notice will be enabled to iight a vfire on any side of thebuilding from a station upon the roof.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and alsoto acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means-foreffecting the result reference is to be had to the following descriptionand accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 1s a perspective viewshowing the application of the device. F ig. 2 is a side e evation oftheladder and hoisting mechanism.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescriptionand indicated in both views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

The invention is shown as applied to a house of the ordinaryconstruction, in which the roof is formed with two sides which slope inopposite directions from the ridge.-

The numeral 1 designates a ladder, which is secured to the side of thehouse by means of suitable brackets 2 and comprises side pieces 3 and 4,which are connected by the usual rounds 5. This ladder 1 extends fromthe ground to the roof and has its upper end pivotally connected to asecond ladder 6 by Y means of a pin 7. The second ladder runs along thesloping side of the roofand is con-- nectedl to a platform 8 by means ofbraces 9.

The platform 8 is supported over the ridge of the roof by brackets 10and may comprise side pieces 11, running parallel to the ridge Tfdesired, a hand-rail 13 may be secured to one oflthe side pieces of theladder 6, which runs along a side of the roof. One of the side pieces 4of the ladder 1 extends above the roof and is provided at each end withoutwardly-projecting brackets 14 and 15, which are connected by a rod16, running longitudinally along the ladder. These brackets 14 and 15are shown as formed of bar-iron, having one end secured to the sidepiece 4 and having their opposite ends twisted so as to be approXimatelyhorizontal, the lower bracket 15 being bent so as to throw the rod 16away from the ladder, while the upper bracket 14 extends beyond itsjunction With the rod 16 to form a hook 17. An elevator 18 is slidablymounted upon the rod 16 and comprises spaced cross-bars 19 and 20,having their ends connected by rods 21 and provided at an intermediatepoint with openings through which thev rod 16 is passed. The uppercrossbar 19 is provided with eyes 22 at both ends thereof, one of saideyes serving as a securing means for a cable 23, while a ring 24 ispassed through the opposite eye and serves both as a handle by means ofwhich a man can raise the elevator as he ascends the ladder and also asa catch when it is swung over the hook 17 to hold the elevator in araised position. The lower cross-bar 20 of the elevator has a ring 25formed integral with one end thereof and adapted to receive a bucket andhold same in an upright position during the ascent and descent thereof.A cable 23, which has one of its ends secured to one of the eyes 22 onthe elevator, passes upward over a pulley 26, supported by means of abracket 27, and then down to the ground through eyes or guide members28, secured to the side piece 4 of the ladder 1. A coil-spring 29 may beplaced around the lower end of the rod 16 to serve as a cushion andbreak the ar when the elevator 18 reaches the bottom.

Tn operation the device is secured in position, as has been described,so as to form aladder leading from the ground to a platform and upon theroof and also an elevator for hoisting water thereto. Tn case of re theoperator places a bucket of water in the ring 25 on the elevator andthrusts his arm through the ring 24 as he ascends the ladder and thenhooks the elevator in a raised position by throwing the ring 24 over thehook 17. He can then remove the bucket of water and mount the platform 8where he can have ready access to a fire on any part of the building. Byreleasing the ring 24 from engage- IOO IIO

ment with the hook 17 the elevator 18 can be lowered and another bucketof water placed in position in the ring 25 and raised by pulling uponthe cable 23. In this manner the individual upon the platform 8 can beprovided with practically a continuous supply of water and will in mostinstances be enabled to obtain a control over the iire andeXtinguishsame before it has gained enough headway to do much damage.

It must be understood that I do not limit myself to the preciseconstruction of the ring 25 as illustrated and described, since it couldreadily be modified so as to enable several buckets to be elevated atthe same time.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new isl. Thecombination of a ladder, brackets projecting from the sides of theladder, the upper bracket being formed with an eXtension, arodconnecting the two brackets, an elevator slidably mounted upon the rodand provided with means for supporting a bucket, and a ring looselyconnected to the elevator by means of which an operator can raise theelevator as he ascends the ladder, said ring` being also adapted toengage with the eXtension of the upper bracket to hold the elevator in araised position.

2. The combination of a ladder, a guideway secured thereto and extendingalong one of the sides of the ladder, an elevator slidably mounted uponthe guideway and comprising two spaced cross-bars, a ring for one of thecross-bars adapted to receive a bucket, and a handle connected to theopposite cross-bar by means of which the operator can raise the elevator as he ascends the ladder,

3. The combination of a ladder, a guiderod secured thereto and extendingalong one of the sides thereof, an elevator slidably mounted upon theguide-rod and comprising two spaced cross-bars through which theguide-rod passes, a ring for one ofthe crossbars adapted to receive abucket, a Aring loosely connected to the opposite cross-bar for thepurpose specified, and a hook projecting from the ladder and adapted toengage with the second-mentioned ring in order to hold the elevator in araised position.

4 4. The combination of a ladder, a guiderod secured thereto andextending along one of the sides thereof, an elevator slidably mountedupon the guide-rod and comprising spaced cross-bars through which theguiderod passes, one of the cross-bars being provided with means forsupporting a bucket, a ring loosely connected to the opposite crossbar,and a hook projecting from the ladder and adapted to engage with thering to hold the elevator in a raised position.

5. In a device of the character described the combination of a ladder,brackets projecting therefrom, a rod connecting said brackets and anelevator slidably mounted upon the rod, said elevator comprising spacedcross-pieces having openings through which the before-mentioned rod ispassed, one of said cross-pieces having a ring made integral therewithfor the reception of a bucket or similar receptacle, while the oppositecross-v piece has a ring loosely connected thereto and which is adaptedto hook upon the upper bracket to hold the elevator in a raisedposition.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ISHAM S. SHUMAKER. [L. s]

\Witnesses:

ROBERT LIDE,

E. W. OCAIN.

